Boston Police, Mayor Boosting Efforts To Stop Violence

BOSTON (CBS) – Boston’s Mayor and Police Commissioner are encouraging a safe summer as June, July and August are typically the most violent months of the year.

The week of July 4 also tends to see an uptick in violence. Since Saturday, there have been four shootings in Boston. Two of them were deadly, including one that occurred Monday afternoon in Mattapan.

“What can be done about it,” said Tanya Wilkerson, victim’s cousin.

Boston Police Commission Bill Evans went to the crime scene.

“It concerns us the last couple days with the recent uptick,” said Evans.

Earlier, he was with Boston Mayor Marty Walsh at a press event talking about their plans and encouraging community involvement.

“Summer safety has to be a city-wide effort,” said Walsh.

The mayor cited school being out, more people gathering in large crowds and more drinking as reasons for the increase in violence.

Commissioner Evans said Boston police put 56 new recruits into neighborhoods where there traditionally there is an increase in violence. They have reconfigured where bike officers patrol and officers will be in playgrounds and teen centers.

Since the first of the year, Commissioner Evans said they’ve taken almost 700 guns off the street, which is through the gun buy-back program and the officer’s work.

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Katie Brace is a General Assignment Reporter for WBZ-TV News
With more than a decade of news experience, Brace joined WBZ-TV from Atlanta's WGCL-TV where she was an anchor and reporter for five years. Before that, s...